


I Can’t Feel My Face When I’m With You

by thesockmonster



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Hell, M/M, Untagged Pairings, non-mainstream religious interpretations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-07-28
Packaged: 2018-12-08 06:45:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11641134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesockmonster/pseuds/thesockmonster
Summary: As Head Demon, Luhan is responsible for a lot - including misplaced souls who should be in Heaven.





	I Can’t Feel My Face When I’m With You

**Author's Note:**

> An older fic, but one of my favorites. Reposting here from LJ.

In retrospect, if Luhan had known the workload that was about to be placed on his shoulders, he'd have refused the promotion. As it is, the amount of paperwork alone is enough to sink him straight to the deepest inferno in Hell and that's not something he's too keen on. His desk is absolutely _swamped_ and he can't even tell who it is that’s walking into his office because his entire view is blocked.

He knows previous management had dropped the ball on upgrading to computers, but even though everyone is now tasked with getting all the files in the shiny new database, it doesn't mean they can allow the newest files to go unattended. And that's what Luhan's dealing with. Miserably so.

"Are you purposely boxing yourself inside a tiny paper fortress or are visitors welcome?"

"That depends," Luhan quips, finally sitting up straight until his spine pops in several places. It feels amazing. "If you're here to add to the turrets, you're banned. Also, if you're here to make jibes at my position, you can stick that straight up your ass."

"But Luhan," comes Jongdae's purring voice just before he appears around the side of Luhan's desk. "You know how much I love shoving things up my ass." Jongdae rolls Luhan's chair from under the desk as Luhan watches with muted interest. "And this is one of my favorite positions," he adds, sitting directly on Luhan's lap.

Luhan rests his palms on Jongdae's thighs, aiding him in sliding forward as Jongdae rests his forearms on Luhan's shoulders. "So are you here as a distraction then?"

"Hardly," Jongdae scoffs even as he tips forward, teasing. Everything with Jongdae is teasing. “I’ve been dispatched to see how you’re faring and if you require assistance.”

“I doubt you’d be of any actual assistance,” Luhan scoffs, head falling to the side because Jongdae’s skimming his lips over his neck, breath hot over his skin.

Jongdae makes an amused noise in the back of his throat. “ _I’m_ not the one offering.”

Luhan should have figured that; Jongdae’s never been any good with anything that doesn’t require undressing. “So who is?’ Because honestly, Luhan could use some help before he ends up setting fire to the entire room and losing all their progress.

“Yixing.”

Luhan lets out a soft hiss, pushing Jongdae off his lap. “I’ll pass,” he says. “Now go find someone else to climb.”

Jongdae gives a heaving sigh, turning and swaying his hips as he leaves. He also knocks a stack of files from the edge of Luhan’s desk and Luhan is positively fuming. Steam spills from his ears and his eyes flare orange, flames licking inside him as he very nearly explodes and takes the entirety of the files with him. Luhan closes his eyes, pulling in a deep breath that he can feel heating in his lungs. When he exhales, it’s still steam, but not as hot. He counts down from ten in his head, bringing himself down to a calm state.

Losing his cool now would only delay progress.

Every time a new Satan takes up the throne, the entirety of Hell has to adjust to a new way of running things. The previous Satan had left an absolute _mess_ behind that Jongin, the poor soul now roped into the job, is now trying to organize. His predecessor had been the slovenly, groping sort who cared more about fulfilling his own desires than keeping tabs on the occupants of Hell. Everything had gone to, well, _worse_ than Hell under his reign.

That’s why everyone loves Jongin. He’d brought organization with him, along with a you-can-do-anything spirit that never seems to falter unless Kyungsoo is trying to get him out of bed. Luhan remembers questioning Jongin’s abilities when the replaced the ferryman, who’d been ushering the dead over the river Stix for several millennia, with a rainbow bridge that turns into a spiralling slide halfway across.

“Isn’t this a little . . . _peppy_ for Hell?” Luhan had asked.

Jongin had looked hurt. “What’s wrong with a little pep before eternal damnation?”

It was only a bit of an exaggeration. Damnation isn’t eternal; at least, it’s not supposed to be. Hell isn’t forever for every soul. It’s more of a rehabilitation center. Damned souls who work off their dirty deeds can apply to be reborn on earth for another chance at Heaven. Sometimes they make it, and sometimes they take another tour of the pits.

Souls that are good enough to gain entry through Heaven’s gates can choose to be reborn on earth at any time they wish, although Luhan’s heard it’s a far easier process because they already have a functioning computer database.

The previous Satan never released rehabilitated souls into the world. The higher-ups have had to fashion a sort-of waiting room for them all to linger in while waiting to be processed, a mock Heaven. Jongin himself has been slogging through the backlog of releases with the help of Seulgi, a spiritual guide who helps with the journey into rebirth.

They’ve also been inundated with more and more souls who swear they were meant for Heaven. The thing is, humans have always taken the basic rules and interpreted them as something else to suit their own needs as if it would change the _actual mandate_ and allow them into Heaven. Luhan applauds the arrogance, but they’re still bound for the flames. And there seem to be more and more of them sinking down by the day.

Luhan looks at the fallen files on the floor and wonders if any of the ghouls under Yifan would be of use. It’s better than no help at all.

 

➳

 

“INCOMING!”

Luhan really _hates_ it when Baekhyun yells that, but he never fails to herald the new arrivals that drift down into Hell’s lobby. Their near translucent state always freaks them out after having been alive for so long and some of them don’t quite make it to the polished black and white checkered tile floor, instead hovering just over it. Luhan would think Baekhyun would have a little more compassion for the poor lost, confused souls seeing as Baekhyun can still remember when he was a human, but Baekhyun’s never been the compassionate sort. That’s why he was sent down in the first place; and also why he was promoted so quickly.

As the overseer of all Demons - with a handful of exclusions, of course - Luhan’s presence is necessary for processing. He watches as Baekhyun saunters to the nearest soul, a sway in his hips and red tail swishing behind him, complete with a pointed end. Luhan sighs. Leave it to Baekhyun to encourage inaccurate stereotypes.

The large room they’re all gathered in has no visible doors and four solid walls of white. This newest batch of souls react no differently than all the ones before. There are the ones who immediately question where they are and how they got here. The demons all gathered to help process the souls field those questions easily, leaving Luhan to watch as several of the souls try to escape. They claw at the walls, bang their fists on the floor and even resort to threatening the other souls and demons if they don’t release them.

It’s always the same.

Some are quiet, some are loud, and some are demanding little shits that Luhan punches right in the face, watching with satisfaction as the soul stumbles back through several other souls before falling to the floor. The blow only hurt the soul because it doesn’t know that it’s dead. That’s why the souls all retain their human visage. It’s easiest, the most comfortable to take the form of what they looked like when they were alive. This particular soul is a portly man who probably spent his life giving orders and never taking them.

“Where are we?!” a female voice screams from the back.

Luhan stares at the group before him, letting a lazy smile crawl over his lips. “You’re in Hell,” he simply states. All the demons around the souls bow in unison, following Luhan’s lead. “I bid you welcome.”

It’s at this point that chaos breaks out. It never fails. He can understand. Hell isn’t where anyone wants to be once their mortal flame has been extinguished. It’s natural to fight it, and yet it will do no good. All their sins are locked in and can’t be altered until they work them off.

Amidst the uproar, the demons begin gathering up groups of souls, easily taking control of the soul so it's incapacitated and falls in line. Luhan watches as the demons each lead their own group of souls toward the walls where doors appear. They're being taken to the processing center to be added to the system. All of their files will appear on Luhan's desk and he's not looking forward to it.

With his job done, Luhan makes his way back to his own office. If luck is on his side, he'll be able to get through a stack of files, assigning the souls to the right departments for their sins, before the newest ones come in. Back when Luhan was the head of only the Lust department, all he had to do was give out appropriate punishments to every soul that was sent to him. It was easier.

Lust, _directly_ , isn't a sin, but the actions it can cause often lead to a direct path downward. A man can lust for his secretary and remain good, but letting it rule him - fucking his secretary on his desk while his wife is at home taking care of the kids - will lead to damnation.

Luhan misses it. It's been a long time since he's gone to the surface. Now Sehun heads that office, hand picked by Luhan himself. And Sehun loves being the metaphorical secretary, chomping away at the soul while he's at it. As the head, Sehun doesn't get to disappear for days at a time to toy with a human like he used to, but Luhan knows he still goes up for a quick fix. Luhan used to do the same, but those days are over and Luhan is left antsy and frustrated.

Perhaps once he's caught up on all these files, he can take a brief respite. It'd be wonderful to indulge in his talents and lure some poor soul into the darkness through carnal pleasures. Luhan could always go to Jongdae, or even Sehun if he wanted, but they all - Luhan included - prefer humans over each other. Human souls are sweeter and they leave an aftertaste that lingers. Luhan can feel himself heating up just at the thought.

" _Master_ ," comes a purring voice from the doorway.

Luhan can't see Baekhyun, but there's no mistaking that sound. Baekhyun only uses that tone with that word when there's something he wants. Or if he's trying to get out of trouble. It has a shiver crawling up Luhan's spine. "I'm busy," Luhan grunts, not looking up from the file in front of him.

The soul in this particular file led quite the life; he dabbled in nearly every sin. He's going to have quite the journey, working off one sin at a time as he moves through the departments.

"But there's a problem," Baekhyun says after walking around so Luhan can see him. There's a file clutched tight in Baekhyun's fingers and Luhan sighs, holding out his hand to take it.

It can't be that much of an issue.

Luhan flips it open and, "oh." So maybe there's a _slight_ issue. This soul shouldn't be in Hell. Not at all.

It happens; not _often_ , but it happens.. Sometimes a soul bound for Hell and a soul meant for Heaven get tangled together on the surface after leaving their bodies, and usually the weight of the damned soul drags them both down and Hell is left with one soul it shouldn't have.

"Take him to the waiting room," Luhan tells Baekhyun. "I'll be there shortly to handle it."

Hopefully it won't take much time to get it sorted. All he needs to do is verify the soul is definitely not supposed to be theirs and pass the file along to Jongin and he'll get it taken care of. Luhan would have Baekhyun take the file directly to Jongin, but there's no telling where Jongin is and Jongin's loyal guard, Kyungsoo, is usually less than willing to disclose such information unless needed.

It just adds one extra thing for Luhan to do.

 

➳

 

Luhan is a little starstruck.

Jongdae is more amused than he should be.

Luhan had walked into the waiting room, expecting to see the soul waiting for him, but what he got was Jongdae trying to make himself at home on the soul's lap. He'd cleared his throat, raising an eyebrow at Jongdae with his arms crossed over his chest until the demon slithered his way off the poor soul and over to Luhan's side.

"Attempting to seduce him _now_ isn't going to change the status of his soul," Luhan had chided.

"Oh I know that," Jongdae had waved off. "But he's hot."

Luhan had looked. And stared. And now he's sunk. Hot isn't the word he'd use to describe the lost soul sitting in there in an orange plastic chair, waiting to be put where he belongs. He’s still retains the image of the clothing he wore when he passed on - a loose tank-top that shows off a _lot_ of skin on his sides, and a pair of dark skinny jeans that showcase muscled thighs. Luhan makes this soft whining noise in his throat when the soul glances over at him and Jongdae barks out a laugh.

What Luhan sees is perfection in its purest form. And it has nothing to do with the goodness that radiates from this soul. Luhan is drawn to him, walking over with as sincere a smile on his face as he can.

The soul blinks up at him, returning the smile and Luhan's long dead heart rolls over in his chest. "Hello," the soul greets, perfect pink lips molding around the syllables.

Luhan's tongue is glued to the roof of his mouth. He's being pulled in by sparkling brown eyes and his mind has gone completely blank. Behind him, Jongdae is snickering none too quietly. Luhan would turn to scowl at Jongdae, but that would mean pulling his gaze from the most perfect soul to have ever existed in the history of _ever_.

It’s a good thing Luhan doesn’t require breathing to exist because he’s lost the ability to function.

“I was told there was a mix up,” the soul continues. “Is this true?” He tilts his head, dark strands of hair swaying in his eyes and Luhan might be on the verge of imploding. Can demons implode? Would the remnants of his very being scatter into oblivion with no hope of ever coalescing to lay eyes on this wondrous sight again? Is he truly so doomed?

"Yes," Jongdae answers for Luhan, sliding up to his side.

Luhan has a soft spot for Jongdae - always has - but he's not entirely sure he likes the way Jongdae is nuzzling himself into Luhan's side, an arm around Luhan's waist.

"And our Luhan here is in charge. He will get it all worked out for you, handsome."

Jongdae is _flirting_ and Luhan growls low in his throat.

"Alright, alright," Jongdae sing-songs, backing away with his hands up in feigned innocence. "No more fraternizing with the enemy." Jongdae pops out of the room, leaving it glaringly empty save for Luhan and the soul who was clearly sent here to test the limits of his sanity.

"Enemy?" the soul chuckles. "Am I behind enemy lines then?"

Luhan swallows down the noise that was fighting to escape, and instead clears this throat. "So to speak," he answers, quite proud at how steady his voice comes out. "No one here will harm you, though. There'd be no point."

"So you're in charge," the soul states, standing from his seat.

Luhan can't help the way his eyes feast on the visage before him. "I am," he replies, licking over his parched lips. "You may call me Luhan." Luhan's mind helpfully supplies him with all the other names this delectable soul could call him, but he bites his tongue before they can slip out.

"So your friend said. I'm Minseok." Minseok is smiling and teetering back on his heels and Luhan doesn't know what to do with himself.

"Well, Minseok," Luhan begins, clutching Minseok's file closer to his chest. "Let's find you somewhere more comfortable to stay until we get this all sorted out."

 

➳

 

Luhan doesn't _mean_ to do it. It just . . . _happens_. One second he's taking Minseok to the mock Heaven they have set up near the entrance to Hell, and the next, he's veering a sharp corner and leading Minseok straight into his own home. It's just that he doesn't like the idea of Minseok mingling with any other denizens of Hell; or former denizens of Hell in this case.

The mock Heaven is where the rehabilitated souls go while they wait to be released back to earth. Luhan tells himself that just because they worked off their past sins, it doesn't make them _good_. The only way to ensure Minseok is truly comfortable is to take him somewhere where he can make himself at home.

Luhan's place of dwelling is . . . well, it's not the type of home one would find on the surface. Minseok seems mostly intrigued, moving about Luhan's home and peering closely at the decor. None of it really matches, but Luhan has come to find the charm in having such a vast array of items.

Luhan's been in Hell for centuries now - long enough that he doesn't remember his time as a human, which suits him just fine. But he's amassed quite the collection of _trophies_. It's not that Luhan regards himself as arrogant, but he takes pride in the souls he's had a direct hand in bringing down. When he was simply a lust demon, sent to the surface to seduce and corrupt, he always brought back something that belonged to the human as a memento.

Those tokens are now everything he owns. Why pop into a furniture shop to take a new sofa when he could bring home a settee riddled with the memories of how he'd brought darkness to the light of a lonely princess and sent her crashing down. She'd been a tasty, sweet treat and Luhan gets to remember it every time he looks at the crimson velvet preserved in time.

Minseok's fingers roam over some of the items, catching on the tip of a dagger that had once been sheathed in Luhan’s chest in a vigilant attempt made by a panicked man in search for God’s forgiveness. Luhan now has it brazenly mounted on the wall over his mantle.

"I thought demons were supposed to be scary," Minseok comments as he curiously begins unstacking the nesting dolls Luhan keeps on a table by his favorite chair. "But so far all I've learned about demons is that you're nice enough, you enjoy sitting on my lap, and you have no sense of interior decorating."

Luhan's stomach ties itself in a knot and he lets out an airy laugh. "It's not fun being evil _all_ the time. It can be quite exhausting. If I'm not intentionally trying to corrupt a soul or get my underlings back in line, I don't waste the energy."

"So I'm safe?" Minseok inquires, an eyebrow raised as he looks over at where Luhan is standing awkwardly out of the way.

Minseok is this fresh face, this new wonder standing in the midst of all Luhan's past and an unshakable emotion starts climbing along Luhan's skin, starting from his toes. He's not entirely sure if he likes it or not, but there's no escaping it even when Minseok turns away from him and begins restacking the dolls.

"Yes." He clears his throat when his voice comes out too high. "You may stay here until we figure out how to get you where you belong."

"Thank you."

Luhan teleports away before he can do or say anything stupid. He lands in his office, misjudging where he came in, and manages to knock over several tall stacks of files. The ghouls that Luhan had reorganizing the files from earlier all watch on with their oddly shaped eyes.

"Don't you have work to do!?" Luhan yells. They sluggishly get back to it, grunting and groaning as ghouls tend to do. Honestly, Luhan doesn't know how Yifan puts up with it.

 

➳

 

There was a time, Luhan _thinks_ , when Jongdae and Baekhyun feared him, _respected_ him. Luhan had plucked them both from the lost souls when their files displayed that they showed real promise. After a trial to see if they were capable of being a lust demon, they’d both been added to the ranks. Luhan misses when the two of them were deferent and held their tongues until he was out of sight.

Baekhyun and Jongdae’s heads are together when Luhan takes a spot on one of the softer chairs in the room. He’s decided to not go back to his home just yet and if he’s going to kill time, it might as well be around others like him. Going down to check on the damned souls isn’t any fun when he reeks of brimstone for ages after. It’s not worth the hassle.

“Word around the Hellfire is that Luhan’s gone all smitten kitten for the goody two shoes,” Baekhyun begins, grinning his stupid toothy grin, his canines glinting from the nearby flames.

“Can’t you two keep a lid on anything?” Luhan grumbles, directing his stare at Jongdae.

“No,” they chorus in cheeky unison.

“Where’d you stash him?” Baekhyun inquires. “I went to see what all the fuss was about and the waiting room was empty. Did you get him sent _up_ already?”

“No one gets processed that fast,” Jongdae snorts. “So where is he?”

“None of your business,” Luhan snaps at them, crossing his arms and slinking down in his seat.

"I bet he's close," Baekhyun stage whispers in Jongdae's ear. "Probably squirreled him away for himself, hoping we'd forget about him."

"Luhan," Jongdae chides with a cluck of his tongue, "what have we told you about keeping pets in the pit?"

Luhan rolls his eyes, refusing to comment on their idiocy even as his stomach twists at the idea of Minseok wearing a collar around his pretty neck, a leash hooked to the front and wrapped around Luhan's fingers. He fidgets in his seat, worrying his bottom lip relentlessly as his mind wanders to things he shouldn't be thinking about such a pristine, untouchable soul.

It only makes Luhan want to touch him _more_ and he lets out a groan of frustration before remembering that he's in terrible company. He looks over at Baekhyun and Jongdae, knowing the twin gleams in their eyes are going to lead to nothing but trouble.

"Do me a favor and keep Min- _the soul's_ presence a secret," he begins, the hint of a command in his voice. "I'd rather not deal with the headache of every demon wanting to get a look at him."

"Why?" Jongdae immediately asks.

Baekhyun slaps a hand over Jongdae's mouth. "Your secret is safe with us," Baekhyun purrs.

"Oh for Lucifer's sake, it's not a _secret_. It's _sensitive material_ and I'm ordering you to keep your traps shut." Luhan knows he hasn't heard the last of it. Jongdae and Baekhyun never let anything go easily and he knows he's just presented himself as a target. If he didn't have authority - and leverage - over the both of them, he wouldn't stand a chance.

The mischievous looks on their faces are scary enough for Luhan to finally decide he's ready to go home. Demons, unlike what people are led to believe, aren't immune to needing rest and the best way to do that, is _sleep_. And after a long day staring at files, Luhan is exhausted.

There are no day and night cycles in Hell. They run on a twenty-four hour clock for convenience, but Luhan seldom keeps to it. It's not like on the surface when he needs to put in so many hours at work to get paid. As long as Luhan keeps up with progress, he can have as much downtime as he wants.

It's quiet when he steps inside his home and he peers around, not sure what to expect. For all he knows, Minseok has slipped out and gotten himself in a heap of trouble. Anyone unfamiliar with the terrain of Hell wouldn't last long at all trying to navigate through it. Even Luhan still gets turned around in some of the lower levels, accidentally tipping into a fiery pit or getting caught up in the miniature fire tornadoes that whip through to suck up any souls who aren't supposed to be out.

Worried, Luhan scampers through his living to get to his bedroom on the far side of the house. The door is open and Luhan skitters to a halt just inside, relieved when he sees Minseok sprawled face down across his entire king-sized bed.

The frame of the bed was hand-carved, mahogany wood caressed by a talented touch to engrave the most beautiful patterns of flower vines twisting through skulls. It's one of Luhan's most prized possessions and he's always temperamental about anyone touching it, let alone getting _on_ it. But Minseok has made himself right at home, face half-buried in the black comforter because he didn't bother to crawl _under_ it.

Luhan is endeared.

Wait, Luhan is _annoyed_! That's what he should be. No one gets on his bed without getting maimed and he approaches, stalking toward his bed with the intent of booting Minseok to the settee.

Then Minseok wakes up, eyes blinking open as he looks at Luhan. Luhan's chest compresses and he thinks he can hear his heart hitting every rib on the way down, each time echoing with a dismal _plunk_.

"Isittimetogo?" Minseok mumbles, wiping at his eyes.

Luhan lets out a stuttered breath before answering, hands balled into fists at his sides. Minseok was surely sent down here to test him. All he can think about is flipping Minseok onto his back and mouthing down his neck, seeing what kinds of noises he can pull from those sweet, tantalizing lips before Luhan makes him beg for more.

His fingers are itching to touch and he reaches out, giving in to his nature as he crawls slowly onto the mattress. Minseok rolls to his side before sitting up, watching with wide eyes at the way Luhan slinks toward him, predatory. His eyes are trained on Luhan, his lips parted and Luhan can feel the flames licking at his heels because he just wants a taste.

“Luhan?” Minseok questions, his voice riding through the air like temptation. Luhan’s mouth waters. “Did you want to sleep here too?” Minseok pats the now vacant side of the bed and Luhan pauses.

Luhan blinks, attention drawn to where Minseok’s hand is resting on the comforter. Sleep. It slaps reality back into place and Luhan licks over his lips, curbing his appetite as he gives Minseok a nonthreatening smile. “Yes, thank you.”

Luhan peels back the covers and wiggles out of his shirt, tossing it to the floor before shimmying out of his jeans. Not all demons choose to keep up with the latest fashion trends from the surface, but Luhan likes to indulge in the ones that showcase his assets; in this case, he’s found a preference for skinny jeans because he knows they make his ass look amazing. He isn’t wearing anything under them either.

When Luhan glances at Minseok as he lays under the covers, he’s disappointed to see that Minseok seems unaffected. Instead, Minseok lays on his side, head propped on his hand. “So what’s it like being a demon?”

The cobwebs shake loose from Luhan’s head, leaving him clearer and closer to his usual self. “Busy?” Luhan offers in the way of an answer. “I don’t remember what it was like being human, so I can’t give you a comparison.”

“You didn’t start off as a demon?” Minseok asks, leaning closer in his intrigue.

Luhan leans toward Minseok, mimicking his position. “Very few demons _began_ as demons. Why waste the resources when human souls work just as well?”

“Do you still possess your soul?”

“I _am_ a soul. Just with more power than others.”

“Which means you’re essentially the same as when you were human.”

Luhan furrows his eyebrows, fingers tapping mindlessly atop the comforter. “I guess?” he reasons. He thinks about Baekhyun and Jongdae; he gives consideration to Sehun when he’d first fallen to Hell with his heaviest sins beneath the lust category. Aside from those particular traits being amplified by the powers of their office and elevation from damned soul to demon, their personalities are mostly unchanged.

“That wasn’t supposed to be a brain teaser,” Minseok laughs.

“I’d just never thought about it before,” Luhan confesses. “There’s little time for self-reflection down here when there’s so much work to keep up with.”

“How _does_ that work anyway?” Minseok continues.

Luhan’s never met a soul so inquisitive; well, he’s never met a soul brave enough to voice his questions so openly. It only makes Luhan crave him more. “There are a lot of things that demons do. You’ll have to be more specific.”

Minseok chews the inside of his cheek for a moment, sitting up and crossing his legs as he tilts toward Luhan. “Let’s start broad,” he begins. Luhan can almost taste his excitement. “I grew up being told that demons are sent to test one’s faith and if he is strong, he will go to Heaven, but give in and he goes to Hell.”

A bubble of laughter bursts from Luhan before he can stop himself. “I suppose that’s one, _overly simplified_ , way of looking at it. Humans feel the need to quantify everything, to make themselves the victimized hero. Yes, we do go to the surface and yes, we choose our targets specifically to see if we can break them. But that’s all sugar-coating.”

Minseok is wiggling closer, eyes bright as he takes in everything Luhan has to say. Luhan sits up, letting the blanket fall around his waist, but Minseok’s gaze never strays from Luhan’s face.

“Souls are individually created, each one unique and never duplicated. I know very little about the process, but I do know that they’re produced from an ether gathered along the fringes of Purgatory.”

“Purgatory?”

“The place between Heaven and Hell. If a soul is truly neutral, that’s where it will reside in the afterlife. It also serves to house other powers that rule the surface. But that’s a different story.” Luhan tips forward, unable to resist. His very soul wants to sink into Minseok’s and revel in him. “Every soul is a mix of good and evil. When a demon tempts a human, it’s not to create an evil within that human, but to draw out the evil that already resides inside it. We’d be remiss in our duties if we didn’t seek out all the potential evil and simply let all souls - good and evil alike - waltz into Heaven without being tested.”

Minseok’s mouth has dropped open a little and Luhan raises his hand, closing Minseok’s mouth with a finger beneath his chin.

“Besides,” Luhan adds with a shrug, “it’s fun.”

“What about now? Is my soul still in danger of the evil being brought out?”

Luhan sighs, letting his fingers trail down the side of Minseok’s arm before dropping to the comforter. “Once death has taken hold, your status is locked in place. No matter what you do right _now_ , you are still bound for Heaven.”

This half smile that lingers on the cusp of a smirk slides easily onto Minseok’s lips and Luhan is momentarily stunned. “Even if I dabble with a demon?”

Luhan swallows. “What kind of dabbling are you interested in?”

Minseok closes the distance between them enough that Luhan can feel the puffs of warm air on his mouth. His eyes focus on Minseok’s lips and he licks over his own, barely holding onto his decency.

“Sleeping,” is what Minseok whispers, leaving Luhan sitting there, stunned as Minseok pulls away entirely and buries himself in the blankets on the other side of the bed. Luhan suppresses a whine. It’s going to be a long night.

 

➳

 

“Someone looks like he was wrestling with the hellhounds in the dungeons,” Jongdae comments the moment Luhan arrives in what they have dubbed _the Wreckage Room_. It’s a downgrade from _Rumpus Room_ but there definitely hasn’t been a downgrade of _action_ that the place has seen. It’s just that there’s equal parts violence to go along with the sexual deviance. It’s where the demons come to decompress, although there won’t be much decompressing when both Baekhyun and Jongdae are present.

“Sehun,” Luhan whines, pouting and batting his eyes at the demon in the hopes that he’ll get his underlings in line.

“They’re not my problem for another hour,” Sehun says even as his eyes rake up and down Luhan’s form twice. “And they’re right. Did Jongin let you play with his pets again?”

“No,” Luhan sighs. “Just a long night.”

“I’d hate to see what your victim looks like,” Sehun titters before leaving Luhan alone with Baekhyun and Jongdae. The traitor.

“Yes,” Baekhyun hisses, sliding up to Luhan with a smirk. “What _does_ our misplaced soul look like today?”

“The same as he looked yesterday when he arrived,” Luhan sniffs. _Just mildly more disheveled from making himself at home in Luhan’s bed_ , but neither of them need to know that. He pushes his way through the pair of demons, heading for the basket chairs. Maybe he can curl up in one for a quick nap before he has to bury himself in files.

Jongdae and Baekhyun, true to character, don’t let up. They follow Luhan over, wedging themselves on either side of him and taking up most of the cushion.

“Then what _does_ have your pretty pink panties in a knot?” Baekhyun wonders aloud, dragging his finger along the length of Luhan’s thigh.

Luhan carelessly knocks Baekhyun’s hand away, scowling.

“Could it be that our little pure soul has a hold on you?” Jongdae suggests.

Luhan’s silence only proves his guilt and he makes this pained noise instead of answering. There are twin gasps that echo in Luhan’s ears and he realizes he’s sealed his own fate.

“Has Luhan gone soft?” Baekhyun whispers.

“No!” Luhan shouts. “I just -” Luhan lets out a growl and leans back in the chair. “I didn’t crawl my way from the deepest pits of Hell to be thwarted by someone who was clearly crafted from my own fantasies.”

Jongdae pulls a face. “You didn’t crawl anywhere. Your ass broke the last Satan when you landed on the throne - and on _him_. And we unanimously decided that you weren’t cut out to replace him.”

“Why was that again?” Luhan asks, head tilting as he stares at the domed ceiling above him. It’s made to look as if it was stitched together with bone and muscle, but it’s all an illusion.

“Too flighty,” Baekhyun answers.

“Right,” Luhan says, remembering. It was a traumatic day; he’s blocked most of it out.

“That and Kyungsoo would have fed you to the souls down on level eight within a fortnight,” Jongdae snickers.

“Would have watched as they tore you to pieces,” Baekhyun adds.

“I got a sweet promotion out of it though,” Luhan grumps, crossing his arms. Kyungsoo had hand-plucked the next Satan himself, seating Jongin on the throne because a demon who was never human cannot occupy the seat himself. Which is completely fine because Jongin was the perfect choice. A day on the job and Jongin had offered Kyungsoo a soul of his own. Kyungsoo had recoiled like a serpent was slithering up his leg. Jongin had pouted for days, but Kyungsoo is still delightfully soulless. 

Luhan did get the better end of the deal; or at least that’s what he thought up until the day the perfect soul dropped in. He leans forward, hunching in on himself. "I'm doomed," Luhan groans, fingers twisting in his hair and pulling because the pain grounds him.

"Well we knew that," Baekhyun chimes in, unhelpful.

"The question is, what are you going to do about it," Jongdae adds.

Luhan lifts his head, eyes darting back and forth between the two. "What do you mean?"

"You're the Head Demon!" Baekhyun exclaims.

"And former Head Lust Demon," Jongdae adds for good measure.

"And?" Luhan asks desperately.

"And you need to get your flat ass back to where you've stashed that tasty soul and show him _why_ you were deemed the best of us."

“But what if -” Luhan glances at the two of them. “What if I want to _keep_ him?”

Baekhyun immediately bursts into obnoxious laughter. It’s Jongdae who notices that there is no amusement etched on Luhan’s face. Luhan still has the file. He hasn’t had the opportunity to seek out Jongin or Kyungsoo so Minseok can be sent where he needs to be, and now he’s thinking he’ll hold on to it for a little longer. Just to see. He’s not going to rob Minseok of an eternity in Heaven, but a few more days wouldn’t hurt him. It’s not as if Luhan would let any harm come to him.

“Luhan,” Jongdae begins. “How are you going to hide a pure soul?”

“Not forever,” Luhan clarifies. “I’m just curious about him. So keep this a secret for a little longer, yeah?”

“You know that the Big Guy Upstairs is coming down for tea tomorrow,” Baekhyun gets out between hiccupping spurts of laughter. He wipes at his eyes and finally starts calming down. “How are you going to hide a soul that rightfully belongs to Him?”

Jongdae curls his lip. “He’s not _that_ great you know.” There’s a distasteful look on Jongdae’s face. “I don’t see the appeal in God or Heaven at all.” He crosses his legs, his foot bobbing in irritation.

Luhan chokes down a snort of amusement, but Baekhyun isn’t as polite. “I bet he’s wonderful,” Baekhyun coos, just to see the dark look on Jongdae’s face.

Jongdae stands, staring upward with a livid expression on his face. “I bite my thumb at thee!”

“Sit _down_ ,” Luhan commands, pulling Jongdae down by his shirt. “No one talks like that anymore.”

Jongdae’s anger shifts into a pout and Luhan clucks his tongue. Jongdae’s greatest trial was a human by the name of Joonmyun who seemed incorruptible. But Jongdae was determined. He spent _years_ flitting back and forth between Hell and the surface in his attempts to draw out the evil in Joonmyun’s soul. It just wasn’t meant to be. When Joonmyun died, his soul went straight to Heaven and Jongdae has never gotten over it. It’s been centuries since then, but Jongdae sometimes relapses, still lusting over _that sweet, sweet unattainable ass_.

Luhan pats him comfortingly on the back. Nothing about this conversation has helped his situation. And he doesn’t have the time for a nap anymore.

 

➳

 

Minseok is thumbing through the pages of an old tome taken from one of Luhan’s bookshelves when Luhan makes it home. “Is this made of human flesh?” he inquires casually, fingers sliding along the edges of the cover.

“Probably,” Luhan answers, dropping onto the settee.

“Is that like, a hobby?”

Luhan snorts in his amusement. “Fleshbound books are a completely human thing. I just use them for ambiance.”

Minseok quirks an eyebrow at that, but doesn’t press further. He slides the large book back onto the shelf and turns to Luhan, walking over. Luhan has to stare up at Minseok and that doesn’t send Luhan’s body into a tizzy at all. Nope, perfectly normal.

“Any luck on getting me sent where I belong?” he asks, the corner of his mouth pulling like he just _knows_ Luhan hasn’t tried.

“Satan’s a hard one to pin down,” Luhan replies, trying to act nonchalant.

Minseok cocks his hip, hand resting on his waist and Luhan very nearly rolls off the settee. “That doesn’t sound very practical. He should be accessible in case of situations like this.”

“Hey now,” Luhan huffs, defensive, “we’re in the middle of a system overhaul. I thought patience was a _virtue_.”

Minseok laughs, sitting down on the settee by Luhan’s hips. Luhan tries not to turn so more of him is touching Minseok, but it’s difficult. “I’m more concerned that some depraved demon is going to kidnap me and I’ll be shackled for eternity.”

Luhan swallows, mind filled with images of Minseok bound and naked, staring up at him with pleading eyes. He imagines Minseok _wanting_ Luhan to keep him chained to the bed, Minseok opening up for Luhan to take as he pleases and Luhan lets out an involuntary groan.

Minseok leans down close, his face far too near to Luhan’s for him to remain safe. “Did you know your eyes have turned red?” Minseok whispers. Luhan stares at Minseok, at the way his lips curve, the slope of his nose, the shine in his eyes.

Luhan lifts enough to fit his palm on the back of Minseok’s neck, fingers pressing to the skin. A processed soul in Hell loses the ability to change their malleability or to turn off their senses. Minseok hasn’t been processed, so he could, but he doesn’t. His eyes widen, a gasp spilling from his pink lips and Luhan pulls him until the tips of their noses barely touch.

“Did you know teasing a lust demon isn’t _safe_ ,” Luhan growls. His free hand runs up Minseok’s thigh to hold, keeping Minseok from moving. “Such a pure, delectable soul taunting a creature who could rip it to pieces isn’t smart.”

“You wouldn’t harm me,” Minseok breathes. It’s a bold claim.

Luhan bares his teeth, the heat flaring white hot inside him. He knows his skin is heating because Minseok is reacting to it. “I destroy people like you as a snack.”

“I’m already dead,” Minseok asserts. “You can’t destroy me.”

“Maybe not,” Luhan answers, his fingers tangling in Minseok’s hair to pull his head back. Luhan sees Minseok swallow, hears the hitch in his breath when Luhan lets his lips slide over Minseok’s cheek and to his ear. “But I would _so_ enjoy trying,” Luhan whispers. He lets his tongue flick teasingly along the shell of Minseok’s ear. “I do enjoy a challenge. I wonder how much you could take.”

“You make it sound like a promise,” Minseok replies, pushing at Luhan until he falls back on the settee. Luhan goes easily, licking over his lips as Minseok holds him down with a hand on his chest. “But you wouldn’t follow through unless I said you could.”

“Another assumption,” Luhan says. “I _am_ a demon. We can’t be trusted.”

Minseok tilts his head. “Then why do I trust you?”

“Because you’re foolish,” Luhan answers, sitting up and pushing Minseok a safe distance away. “You shouldn’t trust me. I’d be tempted to keep you here and never let you go.”

“I’ve yet to find a reason _not_ to stay.”

Luhan resists reaching out for him, instead sitting up and swinging his legs out so he can stand. “Oh my pet,” he sighs. “You have no idea what lurks outside these walls.”

 

➳

 

Luhan spends a fitful night trying to sleep on the settee because regardless of the temptation now resting in his bed, he’s not entirely sure he’d survive an encounter with Mister High and Almighty, Savior of blah blah blah if he _tarnished_ one of his souls. Sighing, Luhan runs fingers through his blond hair, sorting the strands into an artful mess instead of a rolled-out-of-bed mess. There’s a tasteful difference.

Minseok is still burrowed under Luhan’s blankets, curled in the middle of the bed and Luhan leaves him that way. Hopefully he won’t be gone long, giving Minseok one last lingering look before teleporting out. Luhan appears next to Sehun and Sehun gives him the once over before clucking his tongue. Luhan wrinkles his nose at him.

He’s made it right on time.

God’s arrival in the pit is heralded by none other than Joonmyun, his white wings sweeping gently through the warm air and sending brimstone dust devils skittering along the ground. It happens once a month like clockwork, but Jongdae is still practically vibrating in anticipation of secreting Joonmyun off somewhere. The centuries have done nothing to dissuade him from chasing Joonmyun even if Joonmyun’s now one of the highest ranking angels in God’s service.

Luhan is only here for show. All the Demon Heads gather in the courtyard of Jongin’s palace in greeting. Jongdae always manages to sneak in, hiding himself behind Yifan’s tall figure. Yifan either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care. Luhan’s banking on the latter.

Even Yixing makes a rare appearance, standing casually with his hands tucked in his jean pockets and his dark hair fallen in his face. He offers Luhan a small smile that Luhan returns if only in the fear that Yixing would rip him limb from limb if he didn’t. As terrifying as Kyungsoo is, Yixing is the most feared demon in Hell and rightfully so.

Jongin beams at Yixing, waving at the demon who waves back just as jovially. As far as rulers of Hell go, Jongin doesn’t look the part at all. He’s in black slacks with a dark gray button-up that’s partially undone; Kyungsoo probably dressed him. But he’s still barefoot. Luhan doesn’t know how Jongin can stand it. He’s never seen anything on Jongin’s feet.

Jongin’s silvery hair is ruffled by Joonmyun’s wings as the angel lands gracefully in front of Jongin and Kyungsoo. Joonmyun bows, but Jongin pulls him in for a hug, patting Joonmyun on the back after his wings recede and disappear from sight. Kyungsoo doesn’t look particularly happy about it, which only serves to amuse Luhan.

And then the soul currently occupying the seat of God arrives, grinning at Jongin like they’re old friends.

“Tao,” Jongin greets, pulling Tao into a hug as well.

It’s difficult to stand in his presence. Tao radiates this inner light that’s painful for demons when they’re exposed for too long. Jongin is able to withstand it because of the power of his office and Luhan doubts Kyungsoo ever feels anything. Everyone bows at the pair of them before Jongin and Tao are linking arms to go inside.

They get together to go through numbers and discrepancies over tea which is a far cry from the previous Satan who ignored Tao’s requests for meetings, declaring himself too important for such trivialities. This relationship is much smoother, which leads to easy working between the sides.

Luhan spies Jongdae slinking his way toward Joonmyun and rolls his eyes before taking his leave. The formalities are over and Luhan is more interested in getting back to Minseok, hopefully muting Minseok’s purity with his presence until Tao is gone and they’re safe. Luhan feels mildly guilty about not bringing it up during the perfect opportunity, but Minseok doesn’t seem to be in a rush. Luhan finds himself drunk with the thought that Minseok might want to stay a little longer just for him.

Minseok is barely awake when Luhan arrives back in his home. He presses the heels of his palms to his eyes and wipes his hands over his face before they drop. Luhan is a little distracted by Minseok’s bare chest, wondering just how naked Minseok is under the covers.

“How long are you going to keep me cooped up in here?” Minseok grumbles. “I’ve been through everything in this place and now it’s getting boring.”

Luhan slowly walks toward the bed, watching with interest as Minseok’s arms stretch over his head. He looks like a meal served up on a silver platter for Luhan to gorge himself on. “Oh there’s more to this place than you think.”

“If you’re talking about the dungeon you have as a basement, with all the chains and sex toys, I’ve seen it.”

Well that takes some of the wind out of Luhan’s sails. He was hoping to get Minseok down there for a little fun even if he wouldn’t actually _do_ anything to him.

“Don’t look so put out,” Minseok laughs. “If you would like to take me down there and give me a tour so you feel better, you can.”

“Well that just takes all the fun out of it,” Luhan answers even as Minseok laughs at him more. Why is it that he always feels two steps behind, stumbling to keep up? Minseok has him not acting like himself at all. Luhan doesn’t play coy and he doesn’t tip-toe around getting what he wants.

He contemplates this, and why exactly Minseok has such a hold over him, even as Minseok throws him for another loop by tossing off the blankets and revealing so much _skin_. Luhan’s no stranger to nudity, but he thinks Minseok must surely have been carved by the angels themselves.

“Oh,” Minseok says, swinging his legs over the side of the bed to stand. “You’ve got a little . . . “ Minseok reaches up and wipes at the drool gathered on the corner of Luhan’s lip. He smirks, patting Luhan on the cheek before turning to gather his clothing. Luhan just stands there, stupefied as he watches the curve of Minseok’s ass when it presses against the fabric of his boxers. Oh what a time to be rendered inert.

Luhan might as well be a statue for all he can move as Minseok wiggles his way into his jeans and pulls his shirt on after. “Hey,” Minseok calls as he turns around, raising his shirt to his nose. “These don’t ever need to be washed do they?”

Luhan doesn’t have the brainpower to do anything other than shake his head, wondering if he’ll ever get his bearings around Minseok. “They’re not actually real,” Luhan comments. “Your belief that they are is why they exist at all.”

Minseok’s eyes practically gleam. “What else can I make?”

Luhan studies Minseok for a moment. “Hair bows,” he deadpans.

Minseok scoffs.

“No, seriously. Small things that you were used to in your human life are the only things your soul would be able to mimic.”

“And you assumed hair bows for me?”

Luhan shrugs. “A demon can hope.”

“If I make myself a hair bow, will you take me out?”

Luhan blinks, taken by surprise, mouth falling open but nothing coming out. His imagination has just been introduced to an entirely new set of Minseok-related fantasies.

“I’ll take that as a yes, and I’ll hold you to it.”

“What?!”

Minseok ignores Luhan’s outburst, scrunching his face as he concentrates. It takes a good thirty seconds before anything happens, but when it does, Luhan finds himself sitting on the floor, wondering what he’s done in his afterlife to warrant such an attack.

Minseok’s hair is pulled to the top of his head in a little ponytail that sticks up. It’s clipped with a glittery silver bow and Minseok looks far too pleased with himself as he rushes closer to the mirror over Luhan’s bed to see it. How is Luhan supposed to deny Minseok _anything_ when he looks like that?

Luhan is hesitant about taking Minseok out, but he’s helpless to do anything else. He takes Minseok by the hand and tugs him out the door, trying to figure out the safest place to go.

“Is this necessary?” Minseok asks, lifting their joined hands.

Their fingers are laced together quite nicely and Luhan squeezes. “Yes,” he answers. “I can’t have you wandering off and getting lost. Not everyone is as accommodating as I am.”

Minseok takes the explanation at face value, allowing Luhan to guide him away from the safety of Luhan’s home. Luhan tries not to think about the tingle that’s spreading up his arm from Minseok’s touch, determined to keep his wits about him even when it’s so tempting to back Minseok against the nearest flat surface and drop to his knees.

Ideally, Luhan would want to escort Minseok closer to Jongin’s palace because it’s less frightening - save for that one portal that likes to randomly appear and suck people into the lower levels. But Tao is still visiting, so they go in the opposite direction. It takes them further into the housing section for the demons. It could pass for a human subdivision if there was any grass and if some of the demons didn’t have questionable decorating. Sehun’s yard, for example, is nothing but statues of humans in compromising positions.

Minseok pauses to inspect them and Luhan watches the way he tilts his head to take it all in. It has Luhan wondering about Minseok’s human life. Minseok’s file is still sitting untouched, still waiting to be put in the right hands, and Luhan hasn’t opened it since the cursory glance that let him know Minseok wasn’t meant for Hell. Now he wishes he’d thought to page through it a little more thoroughly.

“I like that one,” Minseok comments, pointing at a smaller statue depicting the lewd image of a man and the human interpretation of a demon, wound together. Minseok winks at Luhan, giving him little time to react before he’s tugging them forward and Luhan stumbles to keep up.

Luhan decides it best to avoid entering Hell proper. The outermost ring where the demons reside and where souls come in for processing is the safest place for Minseok. And if Luhan’s honest with himself, he doesn’t want Minseok to see anything that would scare him away. He finally makes the decision to take Minseok on a tour of the monuments they have set up to honor each Satan who has occupied the office. It’s a safe place.

Upon walking up, it appears to be a graveyard and Minseok asks as much.

“Every soul who has held the office of Satan has a monument erected after the office is passed to another.”

“I thought souls couldn’t die.”

“They don’t. Every previous Satan is still in Hell. Some of the better ones are well taken care of, but the worst are sent into the depths of Hell, locked away so they can never be freed. They’re the only souls bound to stay in Hell for eternity.”

“That seems hypocritical. Isn’t Satan supposed to be evil? Why would you punish what you celebrate?”

Luhan clucks his tongue and pulls Minseok to the nearest monument. Most of them look like mausoleums, cut from marble with the story of that particular soul’s reign as Satan etched into it in tribute. “Satan is made to be a monster because that’s what humans use as incentive to remain _good_ despite the evil that may lurk in their soul. When a soul comes to Hell after falling prey to that evil, they are not condemned for an eternity. We simply work the evil off and allow the soul another chance. Satan aids in this process. Without him, the souls could not be reborn for the chance at redemption. A Satan must be able to do the job. It’s about efficiency, not the weight of the sin.”

Minseok runs his fingers down pristine marble, eyes drinking in the images as Luhan watches patiently. Waiting. He stops at every monument to study it in silence, as if he’s absorbing the knowledge of their reign into himself.

Luhan is losing the battle with himself to keep his mouth off Minseok, slowly edging forward. His chest fits along Minseok’s back and Minseok lets out a soft noise of surprise, head turning to stare up at Luhan with wide eyes. Those pink, _shining_ lips are parted, just demanding all of Luhan’s attention and he wants to give in. So badly.

The sound of low voices cuts through the atmosphere and Luhan startles, immediately wrapping both arms around Minseok to tuck him close, keep him safe. It takes a moment for Luhan to pinpoint where they’re coming from and he releases Minseok, holding a finger to his lips so he stays quiet.

With Minseok’s hand secure in his, they creep closer to the voices. The whispers are hard to make out, but the moans are easier. Luhan would recognize Jongdae’s moans anywhere. It’s his partner that Luhan can’t figure out. When Luhan peers around the corner of the monument he and Minseok are hiding behind, he nearly gives himself away, slapping a hand over his own mouth. Minseok wedges his way to the side, poking his head out enough to see too.

Finding Jongdae in a compromising position is never a surprise; Jongdae usually makes _sure_ someone is going to find him. It’s discovering Jongdae with _Joonmyun_ that has Luhan blinking in disbelief. The angel is pressed against the monument, his arms slung around Jongdae’s neck as he grinds down on the thigh Jongdae has between his legs. Their mouths part and Joonmyun’s head tips back as Jongdae trails kisses down his neck.

Silently, slowly, Luhan retreats, bringing Minseok with him.

“Come on, baby, you can put your mouth to better use than that,” he hears Joonmyun croon.

That’s Luhan’s signal to take Minseok in his arms and teleport back home.

 

➳

 

The longer Minseok stays, the more Luhan feels like he’s trapped in a web of his own doing. He can’t untangle himself and, more importantly, he doesn’t want to. He’s helpless, a puppet to Minseok’s whims and he hasn’t even gotten to touch him - well, at least in the _ways_ he wants to touch him. There’s no torture greater than having Minseok in his reach but not being able to _have_ him.

With a human, Luhan would be able to tempt and corrupt, taking what’s freely given to him when his victim caves to their darker desires. Minseok is neither human _nor_ a target for Luhan to seduce. It’s a different sort of game in that it’s not a game at all. Luhan knows how to play games. It’s the very real feeling that he’s attracted to Minseok on more than just a physical level that has Luhan floundering.

There’s never been emotion attached to Luhan’s victims. Each one was a goal, a sweet shot of victory that would fill him with a sense of power. He’s not accustomed to anything else. He doesn’t want to simply indulge himself in Minseok, but he wants Minseok to desire him just as much. He wants Minseok to stay.

It’s gotten bad enough that Luhan’s actually asked Baekhyun and Jongdae for help. It’s not that he trusts their advice more than anyone else’s, but they’re the only ones who know about Minseok.

“If you want to impress your bonnie lass, take him to the agony pits,” Baekhyun had suggested.

“Don’t take him to the agony pits,” Jongdae had immediately vetoed.

Luhan is never asking for advice again.

He does find a nice, safe path for them to walk on. It veers close to the gardens around Jongin’s palace and Minseok seems to enjoy weaving through the flowers and trees that only grow down here. Luhan relaxes enough to let go of Minseok’s hand for a little while, letting him roam as he pleases.

Luhan is leaning on the trunk of a tree, staring up at the gnarled, bare branches, when a weight hits against his side. “Luhan!” a loud voice booms.

Luhan knows _exactly_ who it is. “Chanyeol,” he greets, turning to return his friend’s one-armed hug.

Chanyeol’s sporting ripped jeans and a blue shirt, a backwards cap shoved on top of his unruly hair. For someone who is tasked with ushering souls to their final destination, Chanyeol sure is a plucky guy. He wears the visage of Death with an enthusiasm that no one else possibly could. Luhan spies the tiny scythe keychain dangling from Chanyeol’s finger. It’s the instrument of his office and he’s never without it. It’s just usually not so small.

“You haven’t seen Yixing, have you?” Chanyeol inquires, turning in a circle even as he asks.

Luhan will never understand that relationship. Chanyeol has a home of his own in Purgatory, but he spends most of his downtime in Hell with Yixing. “Not today.”

“Oh, that’s not right.”

Luhan doesn’t have the chance figure out what Chanyeol’s talking about before Chanyeol’s trundling through the gardens and right for Minseok. A panic settles in Luhan’s chest as he follows.

“Were you one of mine?” Chanyeol asks, startling Minseok when he pops up beside him. Chanyeol isn’t there for every single death, but he does facilitate those souls who are too in balance to either sink or float on their own. His ambient magic is what sends the rest along without further aid. “I don’t remember sending you down here. There isn’t enough sin on your soul to be here.”

“So I’ve been told,” Minseok answers with a quirk of his lips.

“This is Minseok,” Luhan interjects quickly. “He got tangled up and brought down by mistake. I haven’t been able to get his file to Jongin yet to -”

“I can take care of that!” Chanyeol exclaims, grinning. “Don’t worry, Minseok. I’m meeting with Jongin later so I’ll let him know.”

Luhan deflates into nothing.

“There you are!” Yixing comes walking up to them, ignoring Luhan and Minseok completely. He gets to Chanyeol and wastes no time cupping the back of Chanyeol’s neck to bring him down for a kiss. Chanyeol wraps an arm around Yixing’s middle, lifting him off the ground. By the time Yixing has his legs locked around Chanyeol’s waist and his tongue down Chanyeol’s throat, Luhan is dragging Minseok away from the pair.

“Who was that?” Minseok asks, gasping when Luhan teleports them back to the house after.

“Death,” Luhan says. “Chanyeol. And it looks like he’s got you taken care of.”

Minseok’s smile doesn’t look genuine, but Luhan puts that off to wishful thinking.

 

➳

 

Luhan’s not ready to let Minseok go. So he does the only thing he knows to do. As soon as Minseok is asleep, Luhan slips out of the house. He lets out a deep breath and concentrates, pooling his power. When teleporting through Hell, it’s mostly instinct. But leaving Hell is another thing entirely. Luhan concentrates on where he wants to be and vanishes, reappearing on a familiar porch.

All around the small home are grassy fields of flowers for as far as the eye can see. It never changes, as with all things in Purgatory. There’s a lone tree that sits in the front yard, a wooden swing swaying in the breeze. Luhan hears it creaking.

He doesn’t need to knock. Only a few more moments pass before the door opens.

“Luhan,” Soojung smiles. “I was expecting you.”

Luhan wrinkles his nose at her. She steps aside for him to enter, shutting the door behind him. Soojung’s blonde hair is messier than usual and there’s a flush across her cheeks. Luhan peers at her until Jinri walks into the room from the back. _Oh_.

“Sorry,” he apologizes, knowing she’s just going to wave him off.

“You didn’t interrupt,” Jinri assures him with a grin. “She knew you were on your way.”

Fate is a fickle entity, and sometimes Luhan forgets that Soojung knows what he’s going to do before _he_ does.

“I offered to spare you the trip,” Jinri sighs, dropping sideways onto a fluffy chair. She’s wearing one of Soojung’s shirts, her bare legs crossing as she makes herself comfortable. “She can’t help you.”

Luhan turns to Soojung who looks apologetic. “You know the rules. Once a soul has left their mortal body, their fate can’t be changed.”

“But you _are_ Fate,” he protests. “You can wiggle things around so he can stay with me.”

Soojung sighs, shaking her head. “Changing his fate would ripple through the threads and leave me with quite the tangle. I lay them where they’re supposed to be. I like you, Luhan, but I can’t.”

“You could always fight for him,” Jinri suggests.

Such a predictable response from the office holder of _War_. Jinri’s always more enthusiastic than anyone else when the idea of fighting is brought up. _Culling the herd_ , she calls it. _Sorting the strong from the weak._ Sometimes Luhan thinks she enjoys her job too much, but she’s never been anything but nice to Luhan. He thinks it might have something to do with the circumstances surrounding his death. She’d told him once - after he’d forgotten his human life - that it had been quite the bloodbath.

“Have you asked Minseok what _he_ wants?” Soojung asks, letting her hand linger on Luhan’s arm before she’s walking over to Jinri.

Luhan stands there, frowning, as Jinri wraps her legs around Soojung to bring her down on top of her. The pair let out soft giggles as Luhan crumbles on the inside. Of course he hadn’t asked Minseok what he wanted because Luhan _is_ a demon and demons are possessive.

She’s right though. Fate is always right. Damn her.

 

➳

 

Despondent and frustrated, Luhan decides to avoid Minseok instead of doing the sensible thing and talking to him. He keeps to his office, pushing through the files a handful at a time. His anger fuels his productivity and Jongdae compliments him on it until Luhan snarls at him. He’s too absorbed in himself to realize that he’s wasting precious time until it’s too late.

“Minseok’s fairy godmother is here,” Baekhyun quips, his head only partially visible because he’s too afraid to walk into Luhan’s office. “You might want to go fetch him and get the sappy stuff out of the way before he turns into a pumpkin or whatever.”

Luhan lets out a distressed wail, uncaring that Baekhyun will probably never let him live it down. Then he teleports right out of his office and into his home. Minseok is there, sitting on the settee with his arms and legs crossed, his foot bouncing as he glares at Luhan like an angry housewife.

“Time’s up,” Luhan informs him, trying to keep the sadness out of his voice. He screwed up. He knows it.

The anger fades from Minseok’s face and he stands, eyes round as he walks toward Luhan. “That was fast,” he comments. “I thought I’d at least be here another day.”

Luhan tries to swallow through the thick feeling creeping up his throat. “Yeah, but not all souls have the honor of the Big Guy coming down to fetch them personally.”

Minseok smiles weakly, allowing Luhan to step forward to hold him so they can teleport. Luhan doesn’t want to keep Tao waiting; testing God’s patience isn’t on his bucket list.

Tao is in front of Jongin’s palace when they get there, sitting on the back of one of the hellhound statues by the gated entrance. He leans forward when Minseok and Luhan approach; this time it’s Minseok who laces their fingers together. There’s a smile on Tao’s face when they stop before him. It doesn’t hurt standing this close, but Luhan is fairly certain Minseok is blocking most of Tao’s innerlight by moving in front of him.

“Now this is interesting,” Tao comments, looking over the two of them carefully. “I come to fetch a soul and discover a tangle.”

“Please don’t tease the demons,” Kyungsoo sighs, appearing before the trio suddenly. Minseok startles, but Luhan’s gotten used to it. “They might bite.” Kyungsoo tilts his head as he peers at Luhan. “Especially this one.”

Luhan snaps his teeth in Kyungsoo’s direction just for good measure.

Jongin slinks out through the front door and down the path, still barefoot and looking rather well-fucked. He eases up behind Kyungsoo, an arm around the demon’s waist and his chin on Kyungsoo’s shoulder. He seems content with letting Tao take care of things, which makes Luhan a tad bit uneasy. He doesn’t want to let go.

“Minseok,” Tao begins, eyes flickering to where their hands are clasped, “would you like to come home now?”

Minseok backs up just enough to step on Luhan’s toes. “Am I allowed to stay?” he asks, his voice so soft that Luhan could barely hear and he’s practically on top of him.

Luhan freezes. Minseok wants to stay? Hope flares in Luhan’s chest.

“I’m afraid I can’t leave a soul where it doesn’t belong,” Tao explains.

That brief hope sputters and dies, leaving Luhan an empty husk that’s sure to float away on the wind. His fingers tighten in Minseok’s hold, resisting the urge to pull him back and refuse to let him leave.

Tao slides from his perch, landing neatly in front of Minseok. “I suppose I could always use an extra set of eyes and ears down here though,” Tao muses, looking over at Jongin and Kyungsoo. “What do you say?”

Jongin shrugs. “We have nothing to hide. And I’m positive Luhan would ensure his safety.”

“What?” Luhan blurts out, his wide-eyed stare darting back and forth between Jongin and Tao in disbelief.

“Minseok?” Tao asks. “It’s your decision. I can take you with me now, or you can stay and be available in case any other souls find themselves down here when they shouldn’t be. I’ll have Joonmyun come up with an official sounding name for it later.”

“I’ll take the job!” Minseok answers immediately.

“I thought as much,” Tao laughs. “I’ll have to give you wings,” he adds. “That way you can move back and forth with ease. Which means you’re going to have remove that barnacle.” Tao is looking pointedly at Luhan.

Luhan peels himself away from Minseok, taking several steps back, but not too many. He’s so close to getting what he wants that he refuses to let it be too far from his reach. Tao’s light expands, encompassing him and then Minseok completely. It flashes bright enough to leave Luhan momentarily blinded. He blinks Minseok into focus again, breathing out in surprise when he sees the white wings protruding from Minseok’s back.

“Come on,” Tao coaxes, taking Minseok’s hand. Together, they lift off and into the air. Luhan watches them as they go up, staring even when he loses sight of them.

The longer they’re gone, the stronger Luhan’s fear grows. What if Minseok doesn’t come back? He keeps his eyes oriented on where they disappeared, chewing his lip as he waits. His stomach is twisted and his mind is yelling at him to not be an idiot, _of course Minseok’s coming back_ , but what if. . . 

Luhan feels the weight on his chest evaporate as Minseok comes into view. He’s flying straight down and Luhan realizes too late that he should have moved. Minseok barrels right into him, knocking Luhan to the ground. “Ow,” he groans, his vision swimming.

Minseok cups Luhan’s face, turning his head right where he wants it. Luhan doesn’t know what’s happening until Minseok is kissing him. He can feel Minseok’s smile on his mouth and he craves it, chasing it with his lips. He fits his arms around Minseok, holding him close as he finally, _finally_ gets what he’s been yearning for.

It doesn’t even matter that they have an audience; Luhan slips his fingers through Minseok’s hair, trails them teasingly down his neck and back up as Minseok whines low in his throat. Luhan could spend an eternity doing this. Minseok parts his lips, tongue swiping along Luhan’s teeth and now it’s Luhan groaning. Minseok tastes like Heaven.

It seems forever, and yet not long enough, when Minseok pulls away. “Take me home,” Minseok whispers against his lips. “And you can give me a proper tour of your dungeon.”

That’s one command Luhan’s not going to disobey. He makes sure he has Minseok settled in his arms, ignoring the laughter in the background as he takes Minseok home. He vaguely wonders if he should inform Kyungsoo that he’ll be taking a few days off or if he should send in a notice. But then Minseok is dragging him down onto the bed and the thought vanishes.

Kyungsoo will figure it out.


End file.
